John Achagwa, the Chief Steward to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, committed suicide less than 24 hours to the May 29 , 2019 Inuaguration and handing over ceremony of power from Governor kashim Shettima to Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Achagwa hung himself on a Neem tree at the Presidential Lodge, Government House, Maiduguri.
He was said to have greeted his colleagues at the lodge at about 1: 44 p.m. on Tuesday before he climbed a tree behind the lodge and hanged himself.
A close associate of late Achagwa said the deceased had been complaining about the attitude of his daughter, saying, “this girl will kill me.”
He said: “He came and asked me to delete someone’s number from his phone. I told him I don’t know how to delete it. He left angrily, only for me to hear that he has hanged himself, after some few minutes.”
Mr. Achagwa who retired from the civil service about three years ago was retained by the governor due to exceptional delicacies. He was also said to have been promised to be appointed Village Head of Dille, Askira Uba Local Government Area.
Other sources at the Government House were of the opinion that the suicide may not be unconnected with the non-payment of his retirement benefit and gratuity, as he had been expecting that he would be given his gratuity before the end of Shettima’s tenure.
At the Government House, people were seen trooping to the Presidential Lodge where security operatives and that of the Fire Service were seen trying to bring down the corpses from the tree top at about 2:37 p.m.
